Man&#39;s shorts



Jan. 10, 1950 FORMICHELLA 2,494,159

MAN S SHORTS Filed Dec. 17, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l GATHERED Pormou Jan, 10, 1950 FORMICHELLA 2,494,169

7 MAN 5 SHORTS Filed Dec. 1'7, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 21 2O Emmn Patented Jan. 10, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE MANS SHORTS Thomas Formichella, West Haven, Conn.

Application December 17, 1945, Serial No. 635,469

This invention relates to improvements in mens shorts.

One of the objects is to provide an improved garment of this nature, providing a maximum degree of comfort for the wearer, and at'the same time capable of being manufactured by a very simple process.

More specifically, the invention aims to provide mens shorts having ample room in the seat por-' tion and in the crotch portion, the garment involving a minimum number of seams so that its manufacture is greatly simplified.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a garment embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation partially broken away and with the lower part of the garment turned upwardly;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a view of the main blank used in constructing the garment;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, showing a later stage in the process of manufacture; and

Fig. 7 is a section on line 1-1 of Fig. 6.

In the drawings, I have shown a preferred form of the mens shorts, and it is to be observed that this garment comprises a main blank or piece of material, shown in Figs. 5 and 6, constituting the major portion of the garment, and an upper separate piece of material used in forming a waist band, as hereinafter described. These pieces of material are of any suitable textile fabric. The completed garment is characterized by a. seamless lower back portion, as indicated in Fig. 2, providing fullness in the seat to give ample room, and characterized also by the fact that the leg portions are of somewhat greater length at the rear than at the front, this being due to the manner in which the garment is con-- structed.

In the drawings, the main portion of the garment is indicated at It), the same providing short leg portions H, and being provided at the front with a fly I2, in association with which buttons l3 are provided. The waist portion of the garment is indicated at M. The main portion III of the garment is constructed from a blank Hi shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and in addition to this blank the garment comprises a waist band piece I5 applied as hereinafter described.

The full seat portion of the garment is indicated in the drawings at 16. The fly l2 extends downwardly to a point 11. From this point I! a short front seam I8 leads downwardly to a short crossseam l9 at the front of the garment. The seams l8 and I9 are the only seams used in constructing the lower portion of the garment. It is important to note that the seam I9 is located well toward the front of the garment, as appears from Fig.

3 Claims. (Cl. 2-224) 4, and it will be observed further that this seam is between forward parts of the garment legs and a gathered portion 26 provided by a forwardly reaching part 2! of the body blank.

The body blank used in constructing the garment is originally made in the shape shown in Fig. 5, the same being out at the upper part on an are 22 and having side edge portions, generally indicated at 23, radiating from the arc center, and'having at the lower center portion the projecting part 25. At the respective sides of the part 2! are straight lower edge portions 24. The projecting portion 2i has a straight lower edge 25. In the upper edge of the blank are cut notches 26 to form pleats, as hereinafter described. The blank is also cut to provide at the side edges portions 21 for forming the parts of the fly l2, and portions 28 adapted to be interconnected by the seam i8. At the lower edge of the blank there are formed portions 29 adapted for use in forming the seam l9.

At the stage of manufacture shown in Fig. 6, pleats 26 have been formed by folding portions at the respective sides of the center for drawing in and reducing the dimension of the waist portion. Also the projecting portion 2| has been gathered or shirred to provide the gathered portion 20, the gathers extending inwardly from the lower edge of the projecting portion and being disposed preferably mainly at the middle part of the projecting portion 2!. The gathers produced in this location have the effect of cupping the forwardly projecting part 2!, as will be apparent from Figs. 4 and 7.

It will be noted that initially the edge portion 25 of the blank is of considerably greater length than the combined length of the seam-forming parts 29. However, the gathering of the part 2| brings its edge to a shorter dimension which is equal to the combined length of the seam-forming portions 29. In forming the garment the side portions of the blank, illustrated in Fig. 6, are brought forwardly and turned, and the seamforming portions 29 applied to the edge of the projecting part 2! and sewed thereto in order to form the seam Hi.

It is believed that the manner of forming the seam I8 and the manner of constructing the fly will be apparent from the foregoing description.

In forming the waist portion of the garment the extra piece 1 5 is used, said piece being folded over in the manner indicated particularly in Fig. 4, and sewed to the body portion. It is preferable to provide means for adjusting the garment to the waist of the wearer, and such means may comprise an elastic strip 36 applied to the inner partof the waist portion in the region of the back, said strip having end portions led outward- 1y through slots 3|" or 32, as the case may be, for

attachment to buttons 33 or 34 applied to the waist portion at the rear face.

It will be understood that by using a main body blank constructed in one piece, as above described, and pleating this piece at the waist portion and gathering it at the lower central portion, the garment is given a fullness in certain parts which, in practice, is highly desirable and provides a notable improvement from the standpoint of wearer comfort. While the waist portion is trim, a large and comfortable seat portion is provided, giving comfort to the wearer in all of the different body postures. Moreover, in addition to this, the garment is especially accommodated to wear by a male person, giving ample room for the genitals of the wearer as a result of the provision of the gathered portion and its location. In addition to the improvements in the garment from the standpoint of comfort, it is apparent the process of manufacture is greatly simplified because of the necessity of forming only two seams in the main portion. Moreover, the garment can be readily standardized as to size because the cutting of the upper part of the body blank determines and controls the waist size.

It will be understood that the gathering of the forwardly projecting part 21 of the blank, and the resulting cupping thereof, are of great advantage in making the garment more comfortable for the male wearer, as has been mentioned above. The resulting garment has a very desirable fullness behind and at the respective sides of the short front seam I8 as well as in the seat. The gathering produces fullness and also provides an inwardly facing cupped formation. The comfort of the wearer is obtained without the need of inserts of a stretchable material, and while the garment is full in the particular places where this is desirable, the amount ofcloth used in the garment as a whole is such as to represent a substantial saving of material as compared to prior garments. As the garment is held in a suspended condition, as seen in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, the cross-seam I9 is located well toward the front, and the rear portions of the legs extend downwardly past the levels of the front portions.

Various changes can be made in the details without departing from the principles of the invention or the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. Mens shorts comprising a waist piece, and a body piece adapted to extend over the body and legs of the wearer formed of a blank having an upper edge secured to the waist piece, the blank having downwardly sloping diverging side margins and a lower middle forwardly projecting portion having a substantially straight edge, the blank having at the sides of said projecting portion upwardly sloping diverging lower margins extending to the lower ends of the side margins, said blank being turned on itself and having short portions at the lower parts of the side margins sewed together to provide a short upright seam, the side marginal portions above said seam being left free of each other to provide a fly, and the marginal portions at the upper part of the upwardly sloping diverging lower margins of the blank being sewed to the substantially straight edge of said middle forwardly projecting portion, to provide a cross seam, the latter edge being in-.

itially of greater length than the combined length of the seam-forming portions sewed thereto and being gathered in order to provide an inwardly facing cup formation immediately rearwardly of the cross seam.

2. Mens shorts comprising a body piece adapted to extend over the body and legs of the wearer formed of a blank having an upper portion to extend around the wearer's waist, the blank having downwardly sloping diverging side margins and a lower middle forwardly projecting portion having a substantially straight edge, the blank having at the sides of said projecting portion upwardly sloping diverging lower margins extending to the lower ends of the side margins, said blank being turned on itself and having short seam-forming portions adjacent the lower ends of the side margins sewed together to provide a short upright seam, the side marginal portions above said seam being left free of each other to provide a fly, the marginal portions at the upper part of the upwardly sloping diverging lower margins of the blank being sewed to the substantially straight edge of said middle forwardly projecting portion to provide a cross seam, the blank as thus formed and sewed providing a full seamless seat, and the garment being full adjacent the waist portion and having means comprising an elastic strip by which it is brought in to conform to the waist of the wearer.

3. Mens shorts comprising a body piece adapted to extend over the body and legs of the wearer formed of a blank having downwardly sloping diverging side margins and a lower middle forwardly projecting portion having a substantially straight edge, the blank having at the sides of said projecting portion upwardly sloping diverging lower margins extending to the lower ends of the side margins, the blank having at the side margins fly-forming portions and below them short seam-forming portions, the blank being turned on itself and said seamforming portions being sewed together to provide a short upright seam, the lower marginal portions of the blank immediately adjacent said seam being sewed to the substantially straight edge of said middle forwardly projecting portion to provide a cross seam, the latter edge being initially of greater length than the combined length of the seam-forming portions sewed thereto and being gathered to provide an inwardly facing cup formation immediately rearwardly of the cross seam.

THOMAS FORMICHELLA.

REFERENCE S CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 115,826 Australia Sept. 3, 1942 

